As part of a solo throughike of the Tuolomne region, I stopped here for a farewell hike before leaving. I recommend picking up a hot cuppa joe at the Saddlebag Lake lodge. If you can enter fast enoughit will till be hot for most of your hike up. The route is pretty obvious and its a lovel walk up the back and then presto the view from the peak sweeps out before you.

Starting at my Tioga lake campsite, headed west over meadows to Tioga pass, then met the trail near beautiful lakes. Stayed on the "trail" to the top, aiming for the rock cairns. Amazing view from the top over Tuolumne across the San Joaquin valley to the coast range / Mt Diablo. Could almost see the Pacific.

Date approximate, definitely summer of '91. After all these years, this is still the tallest mountain whose summit I've reached (not counting the drive to Mount Evans!). Hoping to rectify that this year, but I still have very fond memories of the hike to Mount Dana.

I agree that the view of Mono Lake is spectacular from up there. The little lakes in the valley on the way up were also picturesque and I have nice "wallpaper" for my PC from one of them. We were also treated to gliders soaring above us when we were at the summit. All in all a trip I'll never forget.

As my fiancee was waiting for me back at June Lake I had to make my climb quick so I took the trail up. The view on the way up especially of the Cathedral Range made it worth it. It is worth noting all the inexperienced and unprepared people who attempt this. Watching them is its own reward.

I had plans to hike Half Dome but 100 degree heat drove me out of Yosemite Valley up to Tuolumne meadows. Mount Dana sounded like a good dayhike. The heat had been generating thunderstorms around 1 pm every afternoon so I started before 7 am, made the summit around 9:15, enjoyed a snack and the spectacular views before hurrying back down the trail reaching my car around noon or so. I was surprised by the number of hikers I saw heading up late in the morning. It seemed unlikely they would make it back down before the daily thunderstorms started. I guess Yosemite being a national park means you get a whole lot of hikers who don't really know what they're doing.